A survey by a global organisation campaigning for equality and freedom for LGBTI people has found that 28.5 per cent of people believe engaging in same-sex relationships should be a criminal offence.

The second annual survey conducted by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) asked more than 105,000 participants from 77 countries and territories to respond to the statement "People who engage in romantic or sexual relationships with people of the same sex should be charged as criminals".

It found a diverse range of responses; with some countries producing single percentile figures in support of criminalisation and others seeing support in nearly one in two people.

Among the 1,204 Australians who took part in the survey, two-thirds disagreed that same-sex relationships should be a criminal offence, while 16 per cent of respondents believed it should be criminalised. The rest, 18 per cent, remained neutral. The report says "in criminalising states, unsurprisingly, the percentages that agree that same-sex romantic or sexual relationships should be criminalised increases substantially".

"A finding that emerges repeatedly in this survey is that when respondents know people belonging to sexual and gender minorities, their opinions tend to be more inclusive and less harsh." Read more via SBS